21 Apr 2024
Chuganaut - CD Review - Chuganaut - 11:11 ONE
01 Nov 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Track 1 – Humain (4.32)
Mellow start warm-up action, rolls into a bit of hard axe and stomping bass. 100% instrumental, nicely flowing into track. Nice melodic riff. Nice strong start, not too strong but enough to show what’s coming.
Track 2 – Ooooze (3.08 )
Crazy echoey vocal effect at the start and solid bootstomp rhythms throughout. Cool little axe wail scattered within. Transcends into a solid wrap-up with some nice work by Lil followed by some strong Munro flavour country, supported by the Nail with some sweet whaa-whaas. Just use your cruisiness people.
Track 3 – Keep It Moving (3.13)
A bit faster now - getting the bourbons flowing down my gullet, solid catchy chorus and strong rocky riff. Nice mix with the cymbals and a bit of growl. Halfway through melds into some slower paced whole body groove and some solid bass drive. Good stuff.
Track 4 – Part Of This (3.40)
Rolls in with some quirky unpredictable riff and eery wails. Solid rhythm, another catchy tune. Solid catchy chorus, rolls over into some faery kind of picking and some passionate work from Solid Stu. Rapid cliff-drops and unique feel.
Track 5 – Play (3.50)
Nail’s favourite new song opens with some a ninja little background sample of a childrens’ playground, and some hot work from the entire band, massive hook got me grooving hard out from the second it started. Nice quick pace and precise work, chorus harps back to the hook at the start, and rolls into some martial kind of deep headbanging action. Strong dark feel steals your soul, then feeds it to you (still steaming) as the band rock you back to the surface, maintaining the awesome hot pace built up, and then smashes you in the face with the hook again … and rolls to a nice quiet finish, like some freakin’ mental metal funpark rollercoaster. Awesome.
Track 6 – Party Geek (4.06)
BOOM CHUG-A-LAGER WAAAAHAAHAHAAAAAA
Solid Stu rarks up some solid ballbusting action matched with some hot work from Lil, Munro & Nail, solid deep dark insane work – my new favourite drinking song. Trademark quirky catchiness and cliff-drops keeps you alert and wanting more, desperately. Love the crazy groans and drunken sounding grunting & groaning, especially the gremlin giggle winding down. Beautiful work.
Track 7 – Rush ‘n Bull (1.58 )
Soft kind of jam sesh feel, rocking into a bit of almost reggae-pop-rock-n-roll meets the pogues and some sort of indie rock action, quirky little riff from Nail accompanied as always by the velvet touch of Lil’s drummage and Munro’s delicate flair. Too short! Charming nonetheless and instantly a new favourite.
Track 8 – Wonder Why (2.59)
Solid headbanger and bootstomper, awesome heavy deep lyrical madness, riffs and rhythms in the first minute or so building a hot feel which flows smooth, but nice and fast like some crazy liquid metal river … or something perhaps more eloquent. Real nice feel to this song, crazy catchy chorus action and beautiful work from the entire band. Rock and roll rodeo action and barnyard samples later on make this an instant classic! FUCKING AWESOME!
Track 9 – Crawl (3.29)
Solid bass and growl transcends into madness and now the CD really gets rolling … insansity and dark things in the night ensue – but that’s OK coz Stu will kill them with his scream. Solid really hard riff, world-class everything. Nice build up throughout to a peak around 2½ minutes in, where we slow down and get into some coasting bootstomping action – ends with a nice growl and heavy axe bass action.
Track 10 – Wolf (3.03)
Hackles rise as wolves are heard in the distance, more solidness from the gang. Another catchy chorus and staunch riff and beautiful work from all. I can personally attest that this song goes off live, especially when Stu and the gang hit that mighty chorus “Don’t Cry Wolf, Little One!” – in the CD version you can almost see the full moon and smell the canine breath over your shoulder … honestly, goosebumps. No shit.
Track 11 – Brightside (6.57)
Opens nice and sweetly with some soft but barely contained steel as Stu mellowly croons. Goosebumps grow as you certainly know something unseen approaches – and when it hits you can’t help but rock out. Hard metal riff, crazy work and the band takes you on a solid mental journey, grabbing you by the nuts with the strong body-felt bass, elusive and quick axe strokes and well-rounded delicate drums. Even in the soft chorus it sounds loud, but also not, in some eerie way. I cranked it hard and didn’t care if the brethrens over the road were awoked. Beautiful and balanced song. Slower pace, while retaining the overall meaty flavour, a nice warm-down for the album.
Summary
Awesome is too short a word. I need something like … fuck I dunno. What about FUKNAWESOME – coz that’s what it is. YOU NEED THIS ALBUM. If you haven’t seen or heard the Chug before you’re missing out. If the preceding has not told you anything, then you’re fucking blind and need some sort of mental help, like more pills or much more Jack Daniels.
The entire album has a solid, balanced, well-produced, very professional feel. Ninja little samples scattered here and there ensure that every time you listen you’ll get something new out of it. You can hear the love & respect this foursome have for one another in every note, and can appreciate the hard work and years of practice & gigs they have done to get to this point. At times I was headbanging, stomping, singing (badly) and giggling (mostly altogether) – and at all times feeling very included.
You can buy this album from amplifier.co.nz, CD/DVD Stores, CDs 4 Nix, Real Groovy, Tracs, Sounds, My Music stores and selected independent stores – and of course at the venue where you will see them live. Oh yes. You will.
I feel very privileged to be writing this review, my very humble thanks to the band, management and crew for allowing me to witness one of the very best albums I have heard in a long time. If this is One, then bring on Two. Righto, I’m off to hit play again.
Chuganaut are:
Munro (Bass & BV's)
'Solid' Stu (Vocals & Guitar)
Lil (Drums)
Nail (Guitar & BV's)
Links
Artist Website
MySpace Profile
Amplifier Profile
At eleven past eleven, this is CEO Mong.
Track 1 – Humain (4.32)Mellow start warm-up action, rolls into a bit of hard axe and stomping bass. 100% instrumental, nicely flowing into track. Nice melodic riff. Nice strong start, not too strong but enough to show what’s coming.
Track 2 – Ooooze (3.08 )
Crazy echoey vocal effect at the start and solid bootstomp rhythms throughout. Cool little axe wail scattered within. Transcends into a solid wrap-up with some nice work by Lil followed by some strong Munro flavour country, supported by the Nail with some sweet whaa-whaas. Just use your cruisiness people.
Track 3 – Keep It Moving (3.13)
A bit faster now - getting the bourbons flowing down my gullet, solid catchy chorus and strong rocky riff. Nice mix with the cymbals and a bit of growl. Halfway through melds into some slower paced whole body groove and some solid bass drive. Good stuff.
Track 4 – Part Of This (3.40)
Rolls in with some quirky unpredictable riff and eery wails. Solid rhythm, another catchy tune. Solid catchy chorus, rolls over into some faery kind of picking and some passionate work from Solid Stu. Rapid cliff-drops and unique feel.
Track 5 – Play (3.50)
Nail’s favourite new song opens with some a ninja little background sample of a childrens’ playground, and some hot work from the entire band, massive hook got me grooving hard out from the second it started. Nice quick pace and precise work, chorus harps back to the hook at the start, and rolls into some martial kind of deep headbanging action. Strong dark feel steals your soul, then feeds it to you (still steaming) as the band rock you back to the surface, maintaining the awesome hot pace built up, and then smashes you in the face with the hook again … and rolls to a nice quiet finish, like some freakin’ mental metal funpark rollercoaster. Awesome.
Track 6 – Party Geek (4.06)
BOOM CHUG-A-LAGER WAAAAHAAHAHAAAAAA
Solid Stu rarks up some solid ballbusting action matched with some hot work from Lil, Munro & Nail, solid deep dark insane work – my new favourite drinking song. Trademark quirky catchiness and cliff-drops keeps you alert and wanting more, desperately. Love the crazy groans and drunken sounding grunting & groaning, especially the gremlin giggle winding down. Beautiful work.
Track 7 – Rush ‘n Bull (1.58 )
Soft kind of jam sesh feel, rocking into a bit of almost reggae-pop-rock-n-roll meets the pogues and some sort of indie rock action, quirky little riff from Nail accompanied as always by the velvet touch of Lil’s drummage and Munro’s delicate flair. Too short! Charming nonetheless and instantly a new favourite.
Track 8 – Wonder Why (2.59)
Solid headbanger and bootstomper, awesome heavy deep lyrical madness, riffs and rhythms in the first minute or so building a hot feel which flows smooth, but nice and fast like some crazy liquid metal river … or something perhaps more eloquent. Real nice feel to this song, crazy catchy chorus action and beautiful work from the entire band. Rock and roll rodeo action and barnyard samples later on make this an instant classic! FUCKING AWESOME!
Track 9 – Crawl (3.29)
Solid bass and growl transcends into madness and now the CD really gets rolling … insansity and dark things in the night ensue – but that’s OK coz Stu will kill them with his scream. Solid really hard riff, world-class everything. Nice build up throughout to a peak around 2½ minutes in, where we slow down and get into some coasting bootstomping action – ends with a nice growl and heavy axe bass action.
Track 10 – Wolf (3.03)
Hackles rise as wolves are heard in the distance, more solidness from the gang. Another catchy chorus and staunch riff and beautiful work from all. I can personally attest that this song goes off live, especially when Stu and the gang hit that mighty chorus “Don’t Cry Wolf, Little One!” – in the CD version you can almost see the full moon and smell the canine breath over your shoulder … honestly, goosebumps. No shit.
Track 11 – Brightside (6.57)
Opens nice and sweetly with some soft but barely contained steel as Stu mellowly croons. Goosebumps grow as you certainly know something unseen approaches – and when it hits you can’t help but rock out. Hard metal riff, crazy work and the band takes you on a solid mental journey, grabbing you by the nuts with the strong body-felt bass, elusive and quick axe strokes and well-rounded delicate drums. Even in the soft chorus it sounds loud, but also not, in some eerie way. I cranked it hard and didn’t care if the brethrens over the road were awoked. Beautiful and balanced song. Slower pace, while retaining the overall meaty flavour, a nice warm-down for the album.
Summary
Awesome is too short a word. I need something like … fuck I dunno. What about FUKNAWESOME – coz that’s what it is. YOU NEED THIS ALBUM. If you haven’t seen or heard the Chug before you’re missing out. If the preceding has not told you anything, then you’re fucking blind and need some sort of mental help, like more pills or much more Jack Daniels.
The entire album has a solid, balanced, well-produced, very professional feel. Ninja little samples scattered here and there ensure that every time you listen you’ll get something new out of it. You can hear the love & respect this foursome have for one another in every note, and can appreciate the hard work and years of practice & gigs they have done to get to this point. At times I was headbanging, stomping, singing (badly) and giggling (mostly altogether) – and at all times feeling very included.
You can buy this album from amplifier.co.nz, CD/DVD Stores, CDs 4 Nix, Real Groovy, Tracs, Sounds, My Music stores and selected independent stores – and of course at the venue where you will see them live. Oh yes. You will.
I feel very privileged to be writing this review, my very humble thanks to the band, management and crew for allowing me to witness one of the very best albums I have heard in a long time. If this is One, then bring on Two. Righto, I’m off to hit play again.
Chuganaut are:
Munro (Bass & BV's)
'Solid' Stu (Vocals & Guitar)
Lil (Drums)
Nail (Guitar & BV's)
Links
Artist Website
MySpace Profile
Amplifier Profile
At eleven past eleven, this is CEO Mong.
About Chuganaut
Alternative Rock with a twist of Metal, an explosive mix of spontaneity, monstrous musicianship and four great characteristic personalities: therein lies the heart and soul of Chuganaut.
The strength between the members of Chuganaut is seriously seen in the high energy rampage of their live gigs. With every gig, Chuganaut’s stage performance gets stronger and stronger; the blood, sweat and screams have been worth all the hard work!
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Chuganaut
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